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Lewis Hamilton did not disguise his displeasure at Formula One’s redesigned logo, unveiled amid great fanfare by owners Liberty Media but drawing a muted response from drivers.

“The one we had was an iconic logo,” the world champion said. “Just imagine if Mercedes or Ferrari changed their logo. I don’t think the new one is as iconic, but maybe it will grow on us.” Such reservations were echoed by his rival Sebastian Vettel, who admitted: “I liked the old one better.”

The move was part of an expensive rebranding exercise by Liberty, but the indifferent reaction encouraged further criticisms that the media conglomerate’s changes to the sport have been cosmetic rather than substantial. “What was wrong with the old one?” asked Valtteri Bottas, the winner here in Abu Dhabi.

Complaints were harsher among many fans, who claimed that the logo – with ‘F1’ picked out in curved, tilting red letters – resembled anything from a headless bull to a kitchen tap.

Sean Bratches, F1’s commercial chief and a former ESPN executive, was defensive about the revamp, which disposes of a globally-recognised logo in use since 1993. “We are trying to reposition F1 from a purely motorsport company to a media and entertainment brand with the heart and soul of a race car driver in the middle of it,” he said.

Ellie Norman, the sport’s marketing director, sought to flesh out the creative thinking behind the design. “It takes its inspiration from the low-profile shape of the car, two cars crossing a finish line,” she explained. “It’s incredibly bold and simple.”

In 2018, however, F1 will need to start advancing beyond these corporate bromides. Since Liberty, headed by reclusive tycoon John Malone, bought the commercial rights from Bernie Ecclestone for £6 billion, their stewardship has been long on vision but short on specifics.

Despite Bratches’ preoccupation with social media, for example, prize money has declined by 32 per cent, from an overall pool of £236 million for 2016 to £204 million this year. Chief executive Chase Carey has refused to discuss such concerns in public, saying: “We are not a soap opera.”